# California's 26th senatorial district

California's 26th senatorial district is one of 40 California State Senate districts. It is currently represented by Democrat María Elena Durazo of Los Angeles.

## District profile

The district is located in the central and eastern Los Angeles neighborhoods of Los Feliz, East Hollywood, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Cypress Park, Koreatown, Wilshire Center, Westlake, Glassell Park, Eagle Rock, Garvanza, Lincoln Heights, Hermon, Little Tokyo, Chinatown, Boyle Heights, and El Sereno, along with the adjacent communities of City Terrace, East Los Angeles, and Vernon.

## Election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Biden 72.3 – 25.8% |
| 2018 | Governor | Newsom 72.1 – 27.9% |
| 2018 | Senator | Feinstein 62.4 – 37.6% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 71.4 – 23.0% |
| 2016 | Senator | Harris 72.1 – 27.9% |
| 2014 | Governor | Brown 65.4 – 34.6% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 64.9 – 32.3% |
| 2012 | Senator | Feinstein 68.4 – 31.6% |

## List of senators who represented the district
### 1861–1869: two seats

| Years | Seat A | Seat A | Seat A | Seat B | Seat B | Seat B | Counties represented |
| Years | Member | Party | Electoral history | Member | Party | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| District established January 7, 1861 ||||||||||
| January 7, 1861 – January 6, 1862 | R. C. Gaskill | Republican | Elected in 1861. Re-elected in 1862. [data missing] | Richard Irwin | Union Democratic | Elected in 1861. [data missing] | Butte |
| January 6, 1862 – December 6, 1863 | R. C. Gaskill | Republican | Elected in 1861. Re-elected in 1862. [data missing] | Thomas B. Shannon | Union | Elected in 1862. [data missing] | Butte |
| December 6, 1863 – December 4, 1865 | F. M. Smith | Union | Elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. [data missing] | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Butte, Plumas |
| December 6, 1863 – December 4, 1865 | F. M. Smith | Union | Elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. [data missing] | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Second seat was eliminated for the term. | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |
| December 4, 1865 – December 2, 1867 | F. M. Smith | Union | Elected in 1863. Re-elected in 1865. [data missing] | Seneca Ewer | Union | Elected in 1865. Re-elected in 1867. [data missing] | Butte |
| December 2, 1867 – December 6, 1869 | John Conly | Union | Elected in 1867. [data missing] | Seneca Ewer | Union | Elected in 1865. Re-elected in 1867. [data missing] | Butte |

### 1868–1877: one seat

| Senators | Party | Years served | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| George C. Perkins (Oakland) | Republican | December 6, 1869 – December 4, 1871 | Elected in 1868. [data missing] | Butte |
| David Boucher (Dayton) | Republican | December 4, 1871 – September 16, 1872 | Elected in 1871. Died. | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |
| George C. Perkins (Oakland) | Republican | November 5, 1872 – December 1, 1873 | Elected to finish Boucher's term. [data missing] | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |
| [data missing] | [data missing] | December 1, 1873 – December 6, 1875 | [data missing] | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |
| William C. Hendricks (Oroville) | Republican | December 6, 1875 – December 3, 1877 | Redistricted from the 24th district and re-elected in 1875. [data missing] | Butte |
| William C. Hendricks (Oroville) | Republican | December 6, 1875 – December 3, 1877 | Redistricted from the 24th district and re-elected in 1875. [data missing] | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |

### 1877–1881: two seats

| Years | Seat A | Seat A | Seat A | Seat B | Seat B | Seat B | Counties represented |
| Years | Member | Party | Electoral history | Member | Party | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| December 3, 1877 – January 5, 1880 | John C. Coleman (Grass Valley) | Democratic | Elected in 1877. [data missing] | Niles Searls (Nevada) | Democratic | Elected in 1877. [data missing] | Nevada |
| January 5, 1880 – May 26, 1881 | William George (Grass Valley) | Republican | Elected in 1879. Redistricted to the single-member district. | B. J. Watson (Nevada) | Republican | Elected in 1879. Resigned. | Nevada, Sierra |
| May 26, 1881 – January 3, 1881 | William George (Grass Valley) | Republican | Elected in 1879. Redistricted to the single-member district. | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | | Nevada, Sierra |

### 1881–present: one seat

| Senators | Party | Years served | Electoral history | Counties represented |
| William George (Grass Valley) | Republican | January 3, 1881 – January 8, 1882 | Redistricted from the multi-member district and re-elected in 1880. [data missing] | Nevada, Sierra |
| W. W. Kellogg (Quincy) | Democratic | January 8, 1882 – January 3, 1887 | Elected in 1882. [data missing] | Butte, Lassen, Plumas |
| Thomas H. McDonald (San Francisco) | Democratic | January 3, 1887 – January 5, 1891 | Elected in 1886. [data missing] | San Francisco |
| John T. Broderick (San Francisco) | Republican | January 5, 1891 – January 2, 1893 | Elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 20th district. | San Francisco |
| Vacant | Vacant | January 2, 1893 – January 7, 1895 | | San Francisco |
| Eli S. Denison (Oakland) | Republican | January 7, 1895 – July 7, 1898 | Elected in 1894. [data missing] | Alameda |
| Frank W. Leavitt (Oakland) | Republican | January 2, 1899 – January 5, 1903 | Elected in 1898. [data missing] | Alameda |
| Chester Rowell (Fresno) | Republican | January 5, 1903 – January 7, 1907 | Redistricted from the 16th district and re-elected in 1902. [data missing] | Fresno |
| George W. Cartwright (Fresno) | Democratic | January 7, 1907 – January 4, 1915 | Elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1910. [data missing] | Fresno |
| W. F. Chandler (Fresno) | Progressive | January 4, 1915 – January 6, 1919 | Elected in 1914. [data missing] | Fresno |
| M. B. Harris (Fresno) | Republican | January 6, 1919 – January 3, 1927 | Elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1922. [data missing] | Fresno |
| Charles H. Cobb (Fresno) | Democratic | January 3, 1927 – January 5, 1931 | Elected in 1926. [data missing] | Fresno |
| Dan E. Williams (Big Pine) | Republican | January 5, 1931 – January 2, 1939 | Elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1934. [data missing] | Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne |
| Jesse M. Mayo (Angels Camp) | Republican | January 2, 1939 – March 11, 1953 | Elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 150. Died. | Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne |
| Vacant | Vacant | March 11, 1953 – July 1, 1953 | | Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne |
| Stephen P. Teale (Rail Road Flat) | Democratic | July 1, 1953 – January 2, 1967 | Elected to finish Mayo's term. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1962. Redistricted to the 3rd district. | Calaveras, Mariposa, Tuolumne |
| Anthony Beilenson (Los Angeles) | Democratic | January 2, 1967 – November 30, 1974 | Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1970. Redistricted to the 22nd district. | Los Angeles |
| Alfred H. Song (Monterey Park) | Democratic | December 2, 1974 – November 30, 1978 | Redistricted from the 28th district and re-elected in 1974. Lost re-election. | Los Angeles |
| Joseph B. Montoya (La Puenta) | Democratic | December 4, 1978 – February 9, 1990 | Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1986. Resigned after being indicted due to the BRISPEC sting operation. | Los Angeles |
| Vacant | Vacant | February 9, 1990 – April 16, 1990 | | Los Angeles |
| Charles Calderon (Montebello) | Democratic | April 16, 1990 – December 4, 1994 | Elected to finish Montoya's term Re-elected in 1990. Redistricted to the 30th district. | Los Angeles |
| Diane Watson (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 5, 1994 – November 30, 1998 | Redistricted from the 28th district and re-elected in 1994. Retired due to term limits. | Los Angeles |
| Kevin Murray (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2006 | Elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2002. Retired due to term limits. | Los Angeles |
| Mark Ridley-Thomas (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 4, 2006 – November 30, 2008 | Elected in 2006. Retired to become a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. | Los Angeles |
| Vacant | Vacant | November 30, 2008 – June 8, 2009 | | Los Angeles |
| Curren Price (Los Angeles) | Democratic | June 8, 2009 – July 1, 2013 | Elected to finish Ridley-Thomas's term. Re-elected in 2010. Resigned to become a member of the Los Angeles City Council. | Los Angeles |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 1, 2013 – September 26, 2013 | | Los Angeles |
| Holly Mitchell (Los Angeles) | Democratic | September 26, 2013 – November 30, 2014 | Elected to finish Price's term. Redistricted to the 30th district. | Los Angeles |
| Ben Allen (Malibu) | Democratic | December 1, 2014 – December 5, 2022 | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2018. Redistricted to the 24th district. | Los Angeles |
| María Elena Durazo (Los Angeles) | Democratic | December 5, 2022 – present | Redistricted from the 24th district and re-elected in 2022. Retiring to run for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. | Los Angeles |

## Contents

* 1994
* 1998
* 2002
* 2006
* 2009 (special)
* 2010
* 2013 (special)
* 2014
* 2018

### 2018

2018 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ben Allen (incumbent) | 144,283 | 76.8 |
| | No party preference | Baron Bruno | 23,119 | 12.3 |
| | Libertarian | Mark Matthew Herd | 20,534 | 10.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 187,936 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Ben Allen (incumbent) | 298,609 | 77.2 |
| | No party preference | Baron Bruno | 87,974 | 22.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 386,583 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

2014 California State Senate election :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Ben Allen | 25,987 | 22.2 |
| | Democratic | Sandra Fluke | 22,759 | 19.4 |
| | No party preference | Seth Stodder | 20,419 | 17.4 |
| | Democratic | Betsy Butler | 19,301 | 16.5 |
| | Democratic | Amy Howorth | 18,411 | 15.7 |
| | Democratic | Vito Imbasciani | 5,189 | 4.4 |
| | Democratic | Patric Verrone | 3,446 | 2.9 |
| | Democratic | Barbi S. Appelquist | 1,630 | 1.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 117,142 | 100.0 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Ben Allen | 122,901 | 60.3 |
| | Democratic | Sandra Fluke | 80,781 | 39.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 203,682 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013 (special)

2013 California's 26th State Senate district special election Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Curren Price :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Holly Mitchell | 19,481 | 81.0% |
| | Democratic | Mervin Evans | 4,579 | 19.0% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 24,060 | 100% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2010

California State Senate election, 2010 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Curren Price (incumbent) | 151,733 | 81.3 |
| | Republican | Nachum Shifren | 25,728 | 13.8 |
| | Libertarian | Bob Weber | 4,882 | 2.6 |
| | Peace and Freedom | Cindy Varela Henderson | 4,293 | 2.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 186,636 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2009 (special)

California's 26th State Senate district special election Primary Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mark Ridley-Thomas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Curren Price | 10,864 | 35.84% |
| | Democratic | Mike Davis | 6,471 | 21.35% |
| | Democratic | Robert Cole | 4,160 | 13.72% |
| | Republican | Nachum Schifren | 3,371 | 11.12% |
| | Democratic | Johnathan Friedman | 2,497 | 8.24% |
| | Democratic | Saundra Davis | 2,262 | 7.46% |
| | Peace and Freedom | Cindy Varela Henderson | 525 | 1.73% |
| | Democratic | Mervin Leon Evans | 165 | 0.54% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 30,015 | 100.0% |
California's 26th State Senate district special election General Vacancy resulting from the resignation of Mark Ridley-Thomas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Curren Price | 37,677 | 70.72% |
| | Republican | Nachum Schifren | 11,097 | 20.83% |
| | Peace and Freedom | Cindy Varela Henderson | 4,501 | 8.45% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 53,275 | 100.0% |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2006

California State Senate election, 2006 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Mark Ridley-Thomas | 133,309 | 89.09 |
| | Libertarian | Bud Raymond | 16,317 | 10.91 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 149,626 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2002

California State Senate election, 2002 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kevin Murray (incumbent) | 123,814 | 100.00 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 33,620 | 21.35 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 157,434 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1998

California State Senate election, 1998 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kevin Murray | 124,328 | 88.44 |
| | Republican | Mac Lane Key | 12,798 | 9.10 |
| | Libertarian | Bob Weber | 3,460 | 2.46 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 15,874 | 10.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 156,460 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1994

California State Senate election, 1994 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Diane Watson (incumbent) | 117,204 | 82.93 |
| | Republican | Joe Piechowski | 19,245 | 13.62 |
| | Libertarian | Bob Weber | 3,042 | 2.15 |
| | Peace and Freedom | Wassin A. Snededdin | 1,845 | 1.31 |
| Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | Invalid or blank votes | 14,165 | 9.11 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 155,501 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |